Remote site telecom equipment communication

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides for a system, method and apparatus for monitoring telecommunication components. The invention provides a switch placed at a remote location, wherein the switch includes a converter that converts power from a first voltage to a second voltage, a plurality of communication lines for a connection to a plurality of end users; and an interface that establishes a communication link with a central office. A transmitter is associated with the converter or other switch component; the transmitter transmits a wireless signal relating to a converter or other switch component operating condition. A receiving device receives wireless signals from the transmitter and provides the signals to a serving area interface for processing and/or transmission of the signals to a Central Office for monitoring. A transmitter may initiate transmission upon the occurrence of a change in operating condition.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to the field of real timeinformation monitoring of remote equipment and in particular tomonitoring and/or control of telecommunication field units.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Status information for components of remote facilities equipment aregenerally transmitted from a sensor over wires or coaxial cable to areceiver in the remote equipment where the information is processedand/or forwarded to a main facility like a Central Office (CO). Thisstatus information includes information such as: power converter status,battery life indicators, cable continuity alarms, etc. Providingindividual wiring for each component and a multiplicity of sensors addsexpense and complexity to the remote equipment. Sending this data viawires that are not dedicated to status information reduces the bandwidthavailable and frequently yields poor or unreliable results due to theaccumulation of noise within the communication channel. Failures inthese transmitters can add noise to the wires or coaxial cable, whichfurther degrades the information quality. Thus, there is a need for asimple and cost efficient way for handling system status and faultinformation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for monitoringtelecommunication components. The system of the invention includes aswitch placed at a remote location that provides telecommunicationbetween a central office and multiple users. The switch includes aconverter that converts power from a first voltage (generally a highervoltage), to a second voltage (generally a lower voltage), a pluralityof communication lines that are linked to a plurality of end users, andan interface that establishes a communication link between the end userand the central office. A transmitter or a transmitting device isassociated with the converter or other switch components that transmitsa wireless signal relating one or more operating conditions of theconverter or other switch components. A receiving device receives thewireless signals from the transmitter and provides the signals to aserving area interface for processing and/or transmission of the signalsto the Central Office for the monitoring. The transmitter may initiatetransmission upon the occurrence of a change in an operating conditionof the switch components. Both the transmitter device and the receivingdevice may be transceivers.

Examples of the more important features of the invention have beensummarized (albeit rather broadly) in order that the detaileddescription thereof that follows may be better understood and in orderthat the contributions they represent to the art may be appreciated.There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will bedescribed hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claimsappended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGS.

Features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings disclosing embodiments of the present invention.It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for thepurpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits ofthe invention. For a detailed understanding of the present invention,references should be made to the following detailed description of anexemplary embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like elements have been given like numerals and,wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughoutthe several views:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a switch at a field location;

FIG. 2 shows a telecommunication system according to one embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of an exemplary method according to by thepresent invention.

While the invention will be described in connection with its one or moreembodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto. It is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, andequivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of theinvention, as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the present invention through one or more of itsvarious aspects and/or embodiments is presented to provide one or moreadvantages, such as those noted below. The present invention providesfor real-time status information to communication system users.

The present invention provides methods, systems and apparatus forproviding switching system component alarm and status information to aCentral Office (CO) from a remote site equipment. Because of the lowoverall data rate used for status, alarm and control information, wiredor cable communications systems with wide bandwidth are not necessary.

The present invention is therefore directed to the problem of developinga remote sensing apparatus for sensing and transmitting remote equipmentperformance and status, which is cost effective and simple, yet returnsthe data in real time. Furthermore, the present invention is directed tothe problem of developing a method and apparatus for remote sensing thatcan transmit a large number of sample points as necessary, as wellcontrolling or implementing system or component failure responses asrequired.

In one aspect, the present invention provides wireless monitoring ofremote equipment. In addition, the present invention permits monitoringof fluctuating values—in real time—and the transmission of the systemstatus and fault conditions to a CO or other destination allowing forrapid response. For example, the present invention permits monitoring ofa field switch that is linked to multiple users. The switch may compriseseveral components including a power converter or battery backup system.The status of these and other switch components may vary over time. Thestatus information may be wirelessly communicated so that correctiveactions may be taken. Corrective action may be implemented through thewireless communication system, for example by initiating backup powersystems in the event of a power failure.

The present invention recognizes the particular application of wirelesstelemetry to the problem of monitoring status in remote equipment.Modern wireless systems infrastructure components can be less expensivethan providing wires or cables from end to end. By using communicationbandwidth outside of the wire or cable, users can more efficientlyutilize what bandwidth they have available. In addition, this solutionenhances the reliability, since the information return path to the COmay be separate from the remote site forward data path.

Existing systems typically utilize one communication channel to receiverequests for service or generate alarm conditions. The control channelcontinuously receives and transmits data and is a channel which istherefore unavailable for other communication.

One example of a wireless system that may be implemented with thepresent invention is a system by which small amounts of data can bedetected by sensors associated with equipment components, like switchingcomponents, and the data communicated from remote wireless transceiversto a customer's facility. The existing infrastructure may be exploitedwith little or no significant increase in expense. The desiredpreferences for wireless infrastructure supporting such an applicationinclude: i) low power consumption, ii) extended dormant periods, iii)ease of implementation, and iv) low cost.

A ‘Zigbee’ network is one such wireless system. Zigbee is astandards-based wireless technology having the performancecharacteristics that closely meet the requirements for reliability,security, low power and low cost. This standards-based, interoperablewireless technology addresses the needs of low data rate wirelesscontrol and sensor-based networks as provided by the present invention.

A wireless standard known as the “Zigbee” standard has been developed byan IEEE 802.15 Task Group charged with investigating a low data ratesolution with multi-month to multi-year battery life and very lowcomplexity. Zigbee operates in an unlicensed, international frequencyband. The Zigbee standard defines the physical layer (PHY) and the mediaaccess controller (MAC) as well as application profiles.

Zigbee devices are of three types: i) The network coordinator (NC) thatmaintains overall network knowledge; it is the most sophisticated of thethree Zigbee device types and requires the most memory and computingpower; ii) The full function device (FFD) supports all 802.15.4functions and features specified by the standard; it can function as anetwork coordinator; Additional memory and computing power make it idealfor network router functions or for component interface applications;iii) The reduced function device (RFD) carries limited (which may bespecified by the standard) functionality to lower cost and complexity;these are generally found in network-edge devices that interface withcomponents/appliances. At least one type of Zigbee device, the RFD, isdesigned to stay in deep-sleep until the occurrence of an event thatwill bring it awake. A RFD is generally used at the network edge, andcan be as simple as a transceiver, an 8-bit microprocessor or a devicesupported by pair of AAA batteries. An RFD is just smart enough tocommunicate with the network; it usually cannot relay data from otherdevices. An RFD requires less memory and is less expensive tomanufacture than an FFD. An RFD may be transmitter, a receiver or atransceiver.

The application of the present invention is illustrated with an exampleof system status and fault communication between a power converter andthe communication interface (Serving Area Interface or SAI) associatedwith telephone switching equipment. The switching equipment in thisexample is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM or DSLAccess Multiplexer). A DSLAM is network device at a telephone companycentral office or a remote site that receives signals from multiplecustomer Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections and puts the signalson a high-speed backbone line using multiplexing techniques.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a remote communications switch 100.Switch 100 includes several components, for example a +/−190V (arelatively high voltage) to +/−48V DC/DC (a relatively low voltage)Converter 110 for line powering over a twisted pair. Switch 100 may alsohave a battery backup system to enable switch functioning in the eventof a power failure.

The power converter equipment 110 receives power from an external source(not shown) to be stepped down to power a series of 48 vdc twisted pairlines out. Also Switch 100 may contain a Passive External Loop HeatExchanger 120 to dissipate heat from the Switch 100 enclosure andcomponents. The switch may have any number of twisted pair lines in andout. The switch further comprises a Single Mode Fiber terminal 130. The5-pin Primary Protection Blocks (140) contain for remote power feed. TheSwitch 100 comprises a DSL Access Multiplexer Remote Unit 150 that mayhave any number of Ports of DSL with integrated splitters, cable entry160, and fiber management splice tray 170.

An embodiment of a line powering and communications system according toone aspect of the present inventions is illustrated in FIG. 2. A CentralOffice (CO) 190 is comprised of several components. The CO 190 has aninternet switch 220, which could be an Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Switch oranother switch performing switching functions. Also, the CO has a FiberDistribution Frame (FDF) 224. A fiber distribution frame is theinterface between the transmission equipment and the optical network. Atthe point in the network where the fiber from the transmission equipmentmeets the fiber from the subscriber/trunk network, there must be sometype of cross-connection to facilitate cable rearrangements,measurements and fault location of optical lines. The main function ofthe FDF is to organize and terminate fiber at this point. Used inconjunction with cable heads, this main distribution frame makes itpossible to utilize various existing cable structures (Indoor or outdoorcabling, slotted core or tube structure, single mode or multi-modefibers). A Central Office Terminal (CT) Digital Loop Carrier (DLC) 228will also be present. Digital Loop Carrier is equipment that bundles anumber of individual phone line signals into a single, multiplexeddigital signal for local traffic between a telephone company CO and aremote location. The CO may further include upstream DC/DC powerconverter 232 for use with CO-based line power, for example when poweris over twisted pair 230 from the CO. A Main Distribution Frame (MDF)236 may be used with power from the CO and communications to a localdigital switch (LDS) 282 receiving signals from a DSX-1 280(cross-connection point for DS-1 signals) or other communicationconnection. A distribution frame is a cross-connect device that enablestaking wires in from the outside and connecting appropriately to thewires inside the CO. MDF is a distribution frame on one part of whichthe external trunk cables entering a facility terminate, and on anotherpart of which the internal user subscriber lines and trunk cabling toany intermediate distribution frames terminate. The MDF may be used tocross-connect any outside line with any desired terminal of the multiplecabling or any other outside line.

Switch 100, when power is supplied from an upstream power converter 228in the CO, interfaces by way of a wiring junction and interconnectionpoint, called a Serving Area Interface (SAI) 270. The SAI 270 permitsthe feeder cable pairs to be connected to any of several distributioncables. The SAI 270 is relatively near the customer premises andtypically serves 200 to 600 user facilities 260. Switch 100 may containDSL Access Multiplexer Remote Node (RN) 150, a downstream powerconverter 110 and SAI 270. Communication signals, and optionally power,proceed between the SAI 270 and a network interface device (NID) at Userfacilities 260.

When a Remote Terminal (RT) or Cabinet-based Line Power scheme isemployed, power to the DSLAM is supplied outside of the CO, an RT DLC240 associated with Upstream DC/DC Power Converter 250 interfaces with aServing Area Interface (SAI) 270 in connection with a Remote DSLAM suchas the example Switch 100. Switch 100 may contain DSL Access MultiplexerRN 150, a downstream power converter 110 and SAI 270. Communicationsignals, and optionally power, proceed between the SAI and a networkinterface device (NID) at User facilities 260.

Returning to FIG. 1, a wireless transmitter 310, which may be Zigbeereduced function transceiver, is associated with a sensor 311 thatconnects to any component in the Switch 100 and monitors components,such as power converter 110, for a failure or a change of status orother parameter of interest. The sensor 311 measures any parameters ofSwitch 100 components' status including one or more of output voltage,battery voltage, and other parameters of interest. When a change ofstatus occurs, for example when voltages or other parameters fall out ofpreset boundary values, the reduce function device 310 is ‘awakened’ anda message is transmitted on an RF link to be received by a receiver 320,which may be a full function Zigbee wireless transceiver associated withan SAI 270. While SAI 270 is shown in FIG. 1 as part of switch 100, itwill be appreciated that SAI 270 need not be housed in the same cabinetor structure with other switch components. The transmission fromtransmitter 310 may be initiated upon the occurrence of a change ofstatus. The information packet received contains identifying informationand system or alarm information. This data broadcast (which may be beenrequested by a FFD or Network Coordinator transceiver device) isreceived and passed on to the Central Office 190 where it may be storedin memory or automatically entered into a program. Prior to sending thedata to the CO 190, the data may be processed or conditioned by a dataprocessing unit 330 associated with SAI 270, which may have associatedmemory. A user of the data can access the Central Office via theinternet or the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and retrievethe information. Alternatively the data may be processed at the remoteunit 100 or the CO 190 such that responses are implemented as a resultof the data values. An example response is for initiation of functionsperformed by battery backup 190 in the event of a power failure. Someusers, which may be associated with the CO 190, such as alarm ormaintenance companies, may remain in continuous communication with aremote unit in order to ensure the fastest possible response time.

FIG. 1 illustrates a power generator 195, for example a backup powergenerator to be used during a power failure. Power generator 195 has anassociated transmitter 310 (which may be a transceiver) to communicatestatus to receiver 320. When transmitter 310 associated with powergenerator 195 is also a transceiver, power generator 195 may receivecontrol instructions from data processing unit 330 or CO 190.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method provided by the presentinvention for monitoring a power converter 110 or other components of aswitch 100. For a switch 100 placed at a remote location 410, where theswitch 100 includes a converter 110 that converts power from a firstvoltage to a second voltage and a plurality of communication lines for aconnection to a plurality of end users, along with an interface thatestablishes a communication link with a CO 190, a signal relating to achange operating condition of the converter 420 is transmitted using awireless transmitter associated with the converter 430. The signal isreceived 440 with a wireless receiving device 320 associated with theinterface 270 from the transmitter 310 associated with the converter 110and transmitting 450 the signal to the CO 190 for monitoring thecondition of the converter. The signals may be processed or otherwiseconditioned with a processor 330 and associated memory at remote switch100 prior to communication with the CO 190. Information may be sent inreal time to the CO 190 so that the CO 190 may prepare for generation ofreports or required responses including repair/maintenance reports.Reports may then be provided for service personnel to take correctiveaction when needed. Routine maintenance may be scheduled on the basis ofthese reports on ongoing system monitoring. Thus the present inventionprovides for a real time monitoring system for remote telecom equipment.

The present invention is a relatively low cost yet effective device thatenables status and alarm information from new or existing communicationsequipment. By keeping the cost and size to a minimum, using low-costwireless transmitters and receivers (or transceivers), the presentinvention permits the system operator to monitor all critical equipmentin a remote site from a Central Office to improve the systemreliability, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce system downtime. In addition, battery and equipment life can be extended by moreperiodic cycling, thereby reducing costs. The component replacementoperations can occur automatically or in response to power converterdiagnostic values rather than when catastrophic failure inconvenientlyrequires maintenance. Overall, system outages due to power supplyproblems can be greatly reduced, and costs associated with maintainingthe plant equipment can also be reduced.

Accordingly, while embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it is to be understood that many changes andmodifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The present invention described herein is well adapted to carry out theobjects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as othersinherent therein. While various embodiments of the invention have beengiven for purposes of disclosure, numerous changes exist in the detailsof procedures for accomplishing the desired results. Variousmodifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It isintended that all variations within the scope and spirit of the appendedclaims be embraced by the foregoing disclosure.

Although the invention has been described with reference to severalexemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have beenused are words of description and illustration, rather than words oflimitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appendedclaims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention in its aspects. Although the inventionhas been described with reference to particular means, materials andembodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to theparticulars disclosed; rather, the invention extends to all functionallyequivalent structures, methods, and uses such as are within the scope ofthe appended claims.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Dedicated hardware implementationsincluding, but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits,programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. Furthermore,alternative software implementations including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein.

It should also be noted that the software implementations of the presentinvention as described herein are optionally stored on a tangiblestorage medium, such as: a magnetic medium such as a disk or tape; amagneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk; or a solid statemedium such as a memory card or other package that houses one or moreread-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or otherre-writable (volatile) memories. A digital file attachment to e-mail orother self-contained information archive or set of archives isconsidered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storagemedium. Accordingly, the invention is considered to include a tangiblestorage medium or distribution medium, as listed herein and includingart-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the softwareimplementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the invention is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, and HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

1. A telecommunication monitoring system comprising: (a) a switch placedat a remote location, said switch including: i) a converter thatconverts power from a first voltage to a second voltage; ii) a pluralityof communication lines for a connection to a plurality of end users;iii) an interface that establishes a communication link with a centraloffice; (b) a transmitter device associated with the converter thattransmits a wireless signal relating to an operating condition of theconverter; and (c) a receiving device associated with the interface forreceiving wireless signals from the transmitting device and forcommunicating the signals to the interface.
 2. The system of claim 1wherein the transmitter device associated with the converter is areduced function device.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein thetransmitter device associated with the converter is a transceiver. 4.The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving device associated with theinterface is a full function device.
 5. The system of claim 1 whereinthe receiving device associated with the interface is a transceiver. 6.The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter device associated with aconverter initiates transmission upon the occurrence of a change inoperating condition.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the change in theoperating condition further comprises at least one condition selectedfrom the group consisting of: i) a power failure, ii) a reduced power;and iii) a change in power.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein thetransmitting device associated with the converter randomly initiatescommunication with the receiving device associated with the interface.9. A telecommunication device monitoring method comprising: (a) placingat least one switch at a remote location, said switch including: i) aconverter that converts power from a first voltage to a second voltage;ii) a plurality of communication lines for a connection to a pluralityof end users; iii) an interface that establishes a communication linkwith a central office; (b) transmitting a signal relating to anoperating condition of the converter using a wireless transmitterassociated with the converter; and (c) receiving the signal with awireless receiving device associated with the interface from thetransmitting device and communicating the signals to the interface. 10.The method of claim 9 wherein the wireless transmitter associated withthe converter is a reduced function device.
 11. The method of claim 9wherein the transmitter associated with a converter is a transceiver.12. The method of claim 9 wherein the receiving device associated withthe interface is a full function device.
 13. The method of claim 9wherein the receiving device associated with the interface is also atransceiver.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein the transmitter deviceassociated with a converter initiates transmission upon the occurrenceof a change in operating condition.
 15. The method of claim 14 whereinthe change in operating condition further comprises at least onecondition selected from the group consisting of: i) a power failure, ii)a reduced power; and iii) a change in power.
 16. A telecommunicationmonitoring system comprising: (a) at least one switch placed at a remotelocation, said switch including i) a converter that converts power froma first voltage to a second voltage; ii) a plurality of communicationlines for a connection to a plurality of end users; iii) an interfacethat establishes a communication link with a central office; (b) areduced function transmitter device associated with the converter thattransmits a wireless signal relating to an operating condition of theconverter; and (c) a full function receiving device associated with theinterface for receiving wireless signals from the transmitting deviceand for communicating the signals to the interface.
 17. The system ofclaim 16 wherein the transmitter device associated with the converter isa Zigbee device.
 18. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving deviceassociated with the interface is a Zigbee device.
 19. The system ofclaim 16 wherein the transmitter device associated with a converterinitiates transmission upon the occurrence of a change in operatingcondition.
 20. The system of claim 19 wherein the change in operatingcondition further comprises at least one condition selected from thegroup consisting of: i) a power failure, ii) a reduced power; and iii) achange in power.